Despite internal pressure: Netanyahu is in no hurry to reserve a spot for Yoseph Haddad
Following the Likud primaries, right-wing parties are attempting to attract disappointed voters from the right wing. Meanwhile, concern is growing within Likud regarding the move by Ofer Winter and Yoseph Haddad, and the possibility that votes will remain below the electoral threshold.
The political system on the right is beginning to reorganize ahead of the elections: following the Likud primaries, a group of voters identified with the more right-wing faction has formed within the party, some of whom were disappointed by the results and the direction Benjamin Netanyahu is signaling. The sidelining of several figures associated with this line, alongside the message about forming a broad government after the elections, are prompting other right-wing parties to try to attract this audience to them. According to estimates, this is a potential pool of several mandates, although at this stage there is no survey data that allows for an accurate assessment of its scope.
According to a survey conducted for "Maariv" by "Lazar Research," headed by Dr. Menachem Lazar and in collaboration with the online respondent panel Panel4All, 80% of Likud voters are satisfied with the primary results. 9% are not satisfied and 11% replied that they have no opinion on the matter. Among all coalition party voters, 66% expressed satisfaction with the results.
Despite the pressure: Netanyahu is in no hurry to reserve a spot for Yoseph Haddad
At the same time, Likud continues to monitor with concern the move being formulated by Brigadier General (res.) Ofer Winter. The pressure exerted in recent days on Netanyahu to reserve a spot on the Likud list for the advocacy activist Yoseph Haddad has not yet borne fruit. Netanyahu has not offered him a reserved spot, and Haddad continues negotiations with Winter ahead of the planned announcement of the party next week, apparently on Tuesday.
Alongside Haddad, Lir Deri, a social activist and publicist, is also in negotiations to join the move. In Likud, they hoped that drawing Haddad to the list would make it difficult for Winter to gain momentum early on. The assessment was that if Winter runs without him and does not rise in the polls, it would be easier later to convince him to withdraw or join Bezalel Smotrich.
The joining of Haddad could, according to estimates, improve the starting point of the new party and bring it closer to the electoral threshold. In Likud, they fear that in such a case, Winter and his people will be more determined to stay in the race, thereby increasing the risk of wasting votes in the right-wing bloc. The negotiations between Winter and Haddad concern a full merger and not a technical block. Haddad, who is behind the registration request for the "Yisrael Amitza" party, is intended according to the discussed outline for the second spot and is asking to integrate three additional people on his behalf in the top ten. Winter, for his part, is working to complete the formation of the list ahead of the announcement, with the intention of presenting as many new faces as possible and avoiding politicians who have served in the past.
Although Netanyahu has not offered a reserved spot to Haddad so far, sources in Likud continue to pressure him to act, for fear that a multitude of lists on the right will ultimately leave votes below the electoral threshold.
